LV18, LV19 and LV29

The expansion of Volvo truck operations was extremely fast in the mid 1930s. By then the annual production of trucks was nearly 5,000 units. Obviously, there was sufficient customer demand to offer Volvo trucks for every type of transport, including even the most demanding operations.

The emergence of heavy power
There was still one thing missing in the Volvo product programme: a really powerful engine. But by now there were plans for a heavy city bus and a powerful new truck, which would even have sufficient engine bhp for snow-plough operations; both of these were to be introduced in 1937.

The LV290 series of trucks (which would be nicknamed the 'Longnose' for obvious reasons) was an impressive vehicle, which would successfully be produced into the 1950s, more or less without changes. Compared with previous heavy-duty trucks from other Swedish manufacturers, the LV29 series of trucks (and the concurrent LV18/19 series) were efficiently produced in large numbers.

The LVs - updated and modernised
The basis for the LV18/19 and the LV29 was a very strong heavy-duty chassis which was to some extent related to predecessors LV66 and LV68, but naturally with updated and modernised specification. In fact, two versions fairly similar technically to the predecessors were presented at the same time as the powerful LV29, namely the LV18 (with single reduction rear axle, replacing the LV68 series) and the LV19 (with double reduction rear axle, replacing the LV66).

These two versions, however, did differ visually from the more powerful LV29 series in having the same (shorter) bonnet as the LV9.

Suited for excessive loads
The chassis of the LV18/LV19/VL29 was extremely strong, with strong axles and wheels and a frame suitable for the most excessive loads of the day. Even if these trucks were available with high GVW in three-axle execution, it is as two-axle trucks for snow-plough service that they are most remembered today.

Even if the 'Longnose' LV29 petrol/Hesselman truck had a very long bonnet, it was not the most powerful of all the LV29s. In 1946, the diesel version LV29 C/V was introduced, basically identical to the petrol-engine version but with an even longer bonnet to house the very powerful diesel engine.